Po
|gender= Male |image= |films= Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda 2 |shorts= Secrets of the Furious Five Kung Fu Panda Holiday |television= Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness |games= Kung Fu Panda: The Game Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors |voice= (films, shorts)IMDB.com - Kung Fu PandaIMDB.com - Kung Fu Panda 2IMDB.com - Secrets of the Furious Five Mick Wingert (video games , TV series)IMDB.com - Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness |alias= Master Po, Panda, Dragon Warrior |appearance= Black and white fur with green eyes |combat= Improvised, Panda Kung Fu |fate= Becomes the Dragon Warrior and defeats Tai Lung |quote= "Skadoosh!" }} Master Po Ping, known generally as simply Po, is the main protagonist in the Kung Fu Panda series. Biography In the story of Kung Fu Panda, Po hoped to become a Kung Fu legend, on par with his heroes, the Furious Five. However, he didn't think he could pursue his dream, as he was an out-of-shape panda who worked at a noodle shop, which his enthusiastic father, Mr. Ping, expected him to some day run in his place. Though Po showed little interest in continuing this family tradition, he complied, not wanting to let his father down. At heart, Po was a big fan of Kung Fu, his room decorated with posters and action figures of the famous Furious Five, and he would imagine himself as an unbeatable warrior who would fight alongside them. Po knew, in detail, many things about Kung Fu, from techniques such as the Wuxi Finger Hold, to various weapons and legends, like the Sword of Heroes and the Battle of Weeping River. Though this knowledge showed Po as somewhat of an expert on Kung Fu, it was only in the form of a fan who fantasized he could be part of it, not as someone who had any real experience. It was seemingly by mistake, then, that he was chosen to become the Dragon Warrior. Po was ecstatic when he heard of a tournament being held to determine which of the Furious Five would be chosen as the legendary Dragon Warrior, something he declared would be "the greatest day in Kung Fu history". He abandoned his task of selling noodles in order to see the tournament, but couldn't make it in time, and the gates closed on him, shutting him out. After many failed, desperate attempts to get inside and watch the event, he was about to give up and go back to work with his father - when the fireworks he'd strapped to a chair lit up and shot him into the sky, flying over the arena. Po landed inside the tournament grounds just as Master Oogway was about to choose who would be the Dragon Warrior, and Po fell in front of Master Tigress - with Oogway's claw pointed directly at him. Oogway took this as a sign that the universe had brought them all the Dragon Warrior. Everyone else, including Po, was surprised by this. The Valley celebrated, and Po was carried (with difficulty) on a (which he broke through) to the Jade Palace, where he marveled at the many legendary Kung Fu artifacts kept there. However, the Furious Five and Shifu, Po's Master, thought his being chosen was a mistake. Shifu objected that a "flabby panda" couldn't possibly be the Dragon Warrior, and tried to intimidate Po upon his arrival, insulting his large body weight and threatening Po with potential use of the Wuxi Finger Hold. Shifu promised the panda that he would regret ever being chosen, and afterward set him up in the challenging Training Hall. Po, awed by being in the presence of the Furious Five, was nervous but eager to try some moves. But being an unwary beginner, he was hurtled, burnt, punched, and thrown through the various obstacles. The Furious Five later joked about him and his incompetence, which Po happened to overhear, making him feel inferior and sad. That night, after making accidental damages in the student barracks, Po had an awkward conversation with Crane (where Po himself revealed that he didn't think he belonged at the Palace), and he was even more disheartened after a rebuke from Tigress, who flat-out told him he was a disgrace to Kung Fu and should leave. Po retreated to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, upset and overeating, stuffing his mouth with peaches picked from the sacred branches. Upon finding him, Oogway gave Po some kindly advice, telling Po he should focus on the moment and the present opportunity he had, instead of giving up and doubting himself. The next morning, Po surprised Master Shifu and the others by not only staying, but by arriving first at the training courtyard to practice. Once again, he was put through a Kung Fu thrashing, beat up by the Five and Shifu long into the day, but Po showed no signs of pain or indignity, as he was so amazed by the skill he witnessed, and only welcomed the privilege to spar with the Kung Fu Masters. This enthusiasm frustrated Shifu, who, even after literally kicking Po out of the Palace, was unsuccessful in making him quit. The Furious Five, with the exception of Tigress, came to warm up to Po more. Mantis and Viper tried helping Po feel better with acupuncture, and Mantis assured him about his own small size as a warrior compared to Po's. Po later made the Furious Five some noodle soup, which he was praised for, and he made most of them laugh when he did an imitation of Shifu - only moments before Shifu himself appeared. He announced that Tai Lung had broken out of Chorh-Gom Prison, and that it was Po's destiny to defeat him. Startled, Po ran off in a panic, but only to be stopped shortly by Shifu, who declared that Po was the Dragon Warrior. Refusing to believe this, Po told the red panda he'd never believed in him and had been trying to make him quit since his first day, while Shifu reminded Po that he had chosen to stay despite all the harsh treatment. Po revealed that he had been hurt both inside and out, but he had stayed because, to him, it was better than living every day just being himself, and wanted so badly to be changed. When Po questioned Shifu on just how he planned to make him the Dragon Warrior, capable of defeating the mighty Tai Lung, Shifu admitted he didn't know, and departed. Again, Po fled to food for comfort, and had nearly ravaged the kitchen in the Jade Palace, breaking cupboards and drawers, when Shifu discovered him the next morning. He stood amazed, seeing that the young panda had inadvertently showed a knack for Kung Fu while merely trying to find food in his distressed state. Shifu decided to use this perceived weakness as a teaching tool to motivate Po. Led through the Wu Dan Mountains to the Pool of Sacred Tears, Shifu told him the origins of Kung Fu. Po agreed to learn from Shifu, astounded and emotional from finally getting a chance to live his dream, and so began his first serious step in martial arts training. Po was put through various exercises, from push-ups to ten-mile hikes, to balancing soup bowls, defending his own meals from attack, and a game of keep-away using chopsticks and a dumpling as a reward. Through determination, and with Shifu's teaching, Po's senses grew sharper, he became more confident, and in time Po had achieved a tremendous improvement in body and in mind. But the Furious Five, led by Tigress, had left to defeat Tai Lung on their own. Despite putting up a courageous fight on the Thread of Hope, each of them was overwhelmed by the snow leopard's superior skill. Crane managed to carry his comrades to the Jade Palace, where Po and Shifu found the rest of the Five all paralyzed, struck by Tai Lung's nerve attack. Seeing his heroes wounded before him, Po was worried about facing Tai Lung himself, but Shifu assured him that he could beat Tai Lung -- with the help of the Dragon Scroll. He retrieved it, giving it to Po and promising him extraordinary powers of sight and sound when he would read it, and feeling "the universe in motion around you". Po opened the Scroll, only to find it was nothing but a golden, reflective surface that was completely blank. Confused and disappointed, Po thought that this only proved he really had been picked to be the Dragon Warrior by accident. Shifu told the Furious Five to evacuate the Valley, saying he would fight Tai Lung himself to buy them all time. They obeyed, Po reluctantly leaving with the others. The Five split up to escort the villagers out, leaving a dispirited Po to seek out his father. Mr. Ping was glad to see him again, tying an apron around Po and talking to him about future plans for a new noodle shop as they fled with the rest of the Valley. Having come so close and failed at becoming the Kung Fu warrior he'd aspired to be, and being pulled back into his former life as if nothing had happened, Po unhappily lingered for a moment, his hopes crushed. Mr. Ping took pity on his son, but guaranteed him he still had a destiny at the noodle restaurant. Po wasn't encouraged by this, and told the goose he sometimes couldn't even believe he was his son. Mr. Ping, taken aback, tried to comfort Po by finally telling him the truth: that the secret ingredient of the Noodle Shop's secret ingredient soup - was nothing. He explained that he never needed to add anything more to plain, ordinary noodle soup. By simply believing it to be special, it became special on its own. Astounded, Po took out the Dragon Scroll, and found himself looking into his own reflection. Mr. Ping’s words made the connection, and at last, Po understood the meaning of the Dragon Scroll, the secret to "limitless power". He made his way back to the Palace, climbing the stairs (which exhausted him), and arrived just in time to distract Tai Lung and save Master Shifu. Facing the snow leopard, Po proclaimed that he was the true Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung laughed, making the remark, "You? Him? He's a panda! You're a panda! What are you going to do, big guy? Sit on me?" Po smugly revealed he had the Dragon Scroll, to which he received a punch in the face by Tai Lung -- but then bounced back to strike an equal blow in return. The two fought, and the battle spread down into the Valley, both Po and Tai Lung trying to get the Dragon Scroll as it fell from place to place. Po used his creative cunning to keep the Scroll away from Tai Lung, even using noodles and a cart propelled by firework rockets in the battle, as well as the same maneuvers in his game of keep-away with Shifu. But despite his ongoing success, Po finally collapsed when Tai Lung met him with a powerful punch, pummeling the panda to the ground. When Tai Lung took the Scroll, relishing at finally having his hands on it, he was outraged when he discovered it was blank, and Po told him, "There is no secret ingredient... it's just you." Tai Lung was furious, and struck Po -- but his deadly nerve attacks only served to tickle Po and make him laugh. Again, the two fought, Po besting and outsmarting the snow leopard again and again. Eventually, Po caught Tai Lung in the Wuxi Finger Hold, having presumably figured out the secret to the mysterious technique on his own, and with the word "Skadoosh" and the bending of his pinkie, Po delivered the blow, sending a massive, golden shock wave throughout the Valley of Peace and beyond. When the Five and the villagers returned, they watched Po emerge from the haze in silence, and became elated, the villagers cheering for his triumph. Mr. Ping raced to his son, overjoyed and proud of his victory as a Kung Fu warrior. Tigress stepped forth and bowed to Po in respect, calling him "Master", and the rest of the Furious Five and the Valley followed suit. Po was modestly pleased, but quickly remembered Master Shifu was wounded back at the Palace. He rushed back and found the injured red panda, and told him he had defeated Tai Lung. Shifu weakly thanked Po for bringing peace both to the Valley, and to him. After a quiet, meditative moment, Po asks him if he wants to get something to eat, and he and Shifu enjoyed a meal of dumplings at the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, overlooking a new day in the Valley of Peace. In Secrets of the Furious Five, Po is instructed by Shifu to teach a class of new Kung Fu students, made up of rambunctious little rabbit children. Shifu tells him it may be the toughest challenge he's ever faced, and leaves a dubious Po to teach the class himself. After calming down the excited group, Po tells them stories of how each of the Furious Five learned the secrets of Kung Fu. When Shifu returns to check on his progress, he first thinks that Po has taught the rowdy students that Kung Fu is all about fighting, but after hearing the children point out the lessons of having patience, courage, discipline, compassion, and confidence, he finds Po has taught them well, and allows him to keep teaching the youngsters. In Kung Fu Panda Holiday, it is the time of the Winter Festival, and Po is informed by Master Shifu that he is to host the Winter Feast at the Jade Palace. The Furious Five are surprised when Po tells them this news, and they offer to help him. Po believes he can handle it himself, however, and is excited about the the chance to host the formal gathering. But soon enough, he becomes overwhelmed by the many tasks of preparing for the Feast, and is burdened further by not being able to have his father come to the event. After accidentally rejecting and disgracing a chef named Wo Hop, Po decides to intentionally dismiss the other chefs trying out for the Feast, and he offers the job to his father, along with the Golden Ladle, in hopes that the two of them can spend the holiday together. Mr. Ping refuses, however, grudgingly telling Po to go to the Palace Feast, as he cannot be away from the restaurant and let his customers down. Afterward, Po is challenged by Wo Hop to a fight to the death in order to restore his honor, and the rabbit chef makes several attempts to attack Po and end his own life, but Po prevents him from doing so. Po decides to call on the Furious Five and Wo Hop to help him ready for the Feast, and with their extra efforts, everything comes together just in time. But when he is finally seated with the other Masters at the Palace, Po finds he cannot enjoy the ceremony, as much as he admires the Kung Fu heroes present, and he explains to them his own traditions of having fun with his family. He excuses himself, much to Shifu's dismay, and joins his father at the noodle shop. Mr. Ping apologizes to Po for making him feel guilty, and Po helps him to cook meals for the customers. The Five and the other Masters later show up at the restaurant and take part in the festivities, and Po presents the Golden Ladle to Wo Hop, returning his honor to him. Upon seeing the happy celebration in the noodle shop, Shifu comes to appreciate Po's decision, and Po invites his Master inside, telling him he is part of his family as well. They joined the others, and Po was able to appease everyone thanks of his unorthodox, yet sincere actions. Since his defeat of Tai Lung, Po has continued his Kung Fu training and his journey as the Dragon Warrior, while still working at his father's noodle shop, and is living out his dream as a hero and as the same simple panda he always was. Clothing/Outfit Po wears a simple pair of tan-colored pants that appear to have been patched up multiple times. He also has slipper like shoes. According to an interview with "Po" for Scholastic News Online, he doesn't wear underwear.Scholastic.com - "Kung Fu Panda-monium!" In Kung Fu Panda Holiday, Po's casual winter clothes consist of a yellow scarf and a red snow hat with yellow-dotted black stripes. At the Jade Palace's formal Winter Feast dinner, each guest was assigned a formal outfit with selective colors. As the host and Dragon Warrior, Po wore his same pants, but with a large dark cape around his neck and a tall hat on his head. Personality Po is usually easygoing, and can often be playful and cocky like a big kid. In the first film, he is seen as clumsy and having low self-confidence, but is all too eager to learn Kung Fu the hard way in hopes of changing himself and becoming more like the Furious Five, whom he idolizes. But he comes to learn that "there is no secret ingredient", and finds the inner strength to save the Valley of Peace with his own skills and ingenuity. Po doesn't seem to hold grudges against others, even when they doubt him or express considerable dislike toward him. He is much like the opposite of Tai Lung, in that he shows light-heartedness and humility instead of arrogance and desire for more power. It is these qualities, as well as his great respect for Kung Fu and his loving heart, that mark Po as the Dragon Warrior, able to defeat Tai Lung when no one else can. Fighting Style Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and study Kung Fu alongside his idols the Furious Five, Po begins training under Master Shifu. But it is soon apparent that the traditional styles of Kung Fu aren't necessarily a good fit for a fat panda. Shifu discovers that for Po to become the Dragon Warrior, he must embrace Po's inherent panda nature and exploit his physical attributes, including his generous belly and rear end. In the end, Po creates his own style that uses his perceived weaknesses as his strengths.Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Po Po uses this improvised style often when he fights. For example, in his fight against Tai Lung, Po is able to use his bulky physique to block the leopard's nerve attacks and send back hard blows. This ultimately, like Shifu explained to him during training, allows Po to take Tai Lung's strength and use it against him. Trivia *In The Art of Kung Fu Panda, it is mentioned that Po's full name, Po Ping ( : 宝平; : 寶平; : bǎopíng), translates to "precious peace" in Chinese.Miller-Zarneke, Tracey. The Art of Kung Fu Panda, p. 24. : *The art book also specifies that Po was once not a fan of Kung Fu, and was "rather hateable and stupid and dead-end". However, through changes, 's performance helped to define the character's personality.Miller-Zarneke, Tracey. The Art of Kung Fu Panda, p. 24. : *In development of the character, Po went through a variety of origins. Among these were living in a panda village with his mother, working in a chime factory, and being an indentured servant to Mr. Ping. *Po is noted to be 6' 2" tall and 260 pounds in weight.Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Po Although, when imitating Shifu, he jokes that he is 500 pounds in weight. *According to the filmmakers' commentary on the DVD, Po's favorite of the Furious Five is Master Tigress, despite the fact that she shows considerable disrespect and disgust at him throughout most of the main film. *Po has a special "fighting fist" control that he only uses when he's engaging in Kung Fu.Kung Fu Panda Fun Facts by HP *The weirdest animation control was for Po's uvula.Kung Fu Panda Fun Facts by HP *Po's cheeks were rebuilt during the film to allow him to stuff his mouth with more food.Kung Fu Panda Fun Facts by HP *In an interview with Jack Black for Nick Magazine, Black answers that one of his weaknesses is that he's ticklish around the rib cage. Just like Black, Po is also ticklish around his rib cage, as seen in his fight with Tai Lung. *According to a behind-the-scenes video of Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Po never went to school as a cub -- most likely because Mr. Ping couldn't afford it.ActorsReporter.com - Voiceover Session with James Hong and Peter Hastings *As a tribute to the star of the films, a newborn giant panda cub in -- the only one born in the U.S. in 2010 -- was named Po. Jack Black was present for the naming of the newborn cub.DreamworksAnimation.com - "Zoo Atlanta and DreamWorks Animation Announce Panda Cub's New Name" Gallery Marletnico.gif|Concept artwork of Po by Nicolas Marlet dream po.jpg|Dream Po 102 5092.JPG|Po in Legends of Awesomeness kungfupanda2hero_806x453.jpg Baby Po.jpg|An infant Po JackBlackPo.jpg|Po and his voice actor, Jack Black (View more...) Quotes References Category:Kung Fu Masters Category:Film Characters Category:TV Series Characters Category:Shorts Characters Category:Video Game Characters Category:Characters Category:Males